Chapter Nine #3
Willow stared down at her hands. “I don’t understand it.
After everything I went through for three years, I shouldn’t feel anything toward a man.
I was basically a slave, Mia. I was scared for my life every day.
Even when he wasn’t hurting me, I was waiting for the next time he would.
” Willow drew in a shaky breath. “So why am I sitting here thinking about another man four days after I’ve known him, after I escaped a living hell not even a month ago?
Jay Bird is huge. He can be intimidating as hell.
Everything about him should make me want to keep my distance. ”
“But?”
Willow looked toward the yard. “But I feel safe with him. He listens. He doesn’t crowd me. He seems to know when I need him nearby and when I need space.” She smiled. “And Lily absolutely adores him. The kid has basically Velcroed herself to his leg.”
Mia laughed. “That’s an accurate description.”
“I don’t understand her either. She was terrified of men.”
“Maybe she knows something.”
Willow looked at her, and Mia shrugged.
“Kids operate on instinct. Especially kids who’ve had to learn who is safe and who isn’t.”
“My instincts like him too,” she admitted.
Mia’s smile slowly returned. “Oh?”
“Don’t.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You didn’t have to.”
Willow felt her cheeks warming. Then apparently her mouth decided humiliating her further was today’s entertainment.
“I kissed him.”
Mia’s eyes widened. “You what?” she shouted.
“Keep your voice down!”
Mia slapped a hand over her mouth, laughing. “Sorry. Where?”
“His cheek.”
“Oh.”
Willow narrowed her eyes. “What does oh mean?”
“Nothing. I just briefly thought we had made significantly more progress.”
“Mia!”
Camden startled at Willow’s raised voice and stared at them.
Willow covered her face. “It was barely even a kiss.”
“What did he do?”
“I think I shocked him.”
Mia giggled. “I would’ve paid money to have seen that. What happened after that?”
“I ran inside.”
Mia laughed harder. “I’m so happy for you.”
Willow’s embarrassment faded slightly. “Why? Don’t you think that is strange?”
Mia shook her head. “No. Because you wanted to kiss him.” Mia reached for her hand again. “Nobody told you to. Nobody expected it. You wanted to, and you did it. Your instincts are telling you something. You trust him.”
Willow looked toward the house again, the thought settling a little deeper this time. Maybe she did trust him more than she was ready to admit, even to herself.
Mia let the silence sit for a moment before changing the subject.
“What are you going to do about work?”
“I was actually thinking about that.” Willow straightened. “As soon as Tink gets my identification squared away, I want to find something. I can’t sit here forever.”
“Well, I wanted to talk to you about a job. I remember that you were taking classes, working toward your degree.
Willow nodded. “I was. I was thinking about maybe continuing it.”
“Well, I own my own clinic now. We also have a rescue and adoption center attached. I need another tech. How would you like to come and work for me? ”
“But I don’t have my degree yet.”
“I know. We’ll work around it legally until you get it. Consider it a paid internship type of thing. And the clinic will pay for all your classes to finish your degree.”
“Are you serious?” Willow asked.
“I’d do it for any employee I thought was worth investing in.”
Willow felt the tears coming again. “Are you sure this isn’t just helping me out of pity?”
Mia’s expression became almost offended.
“Absolutely not. You were damn good at your job three years ago, and unless Chen somehow erased your ability to deal with terrified dogs and homicidal cats, I doubt that changed.”
Willow laughed through the tears. “I want it.”
Mia grinned. “Good. Then the job is yours.”
Willow glanced toward Lily. But I would need daycare.”
Mia waved her hand in the air. “Already handled.”
“What? How?”
“Between the kids of Bravo and Alpha, childcare has basically become an underground operation.”
Willow laughed, and so did Mia.
“I’m serious. The wives and girlfriends with little ones rotate helping each other. Juliette, Derek’s wife, loves having the kids over. There are always options.”
“But I’m not exactly part of the team community.”
Mia made a face. “Nonsense. You’re living with Jay Bird and using his last name.”
“For security.”
“Yeah. We’ll see about that. I have a feeling you’re going to be part of this family for a very long time.”
Willow’s heart gave an inconvenient little flutter.
Thankfully, Lily chose that moment to run toward them, yelling something incomprehensible about her ball.
By late afternoon, Mia gathered Camden’s things and loaded him into his car seat.
“We’ll talk in the next couple of days about the clinic,” she promised.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m actually excited.”
“You should be.”
Willow hugged her, and this time no tears fell.
An hour later, Willow stood in Jay Bird’s kitchen while Lily colored at the table.
A simple glass vase now sat in the center of the table, filled with bright summer flowers Mia brought over for Willow.
Willow smiled. Jay Bird had told her to make herself at home, and apparently she was starting with flowers.